Candle socket



Sept. .9.12,A 1931. R, Popp 1,824,231

CANDLE SOCKET Filed June 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnl/an?" faQ/@gf f 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lil img/@pp y/M Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE "i RUDOLF POPP, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MCGILL MANUFACTURING 'p COMPANY, Ak CORPORATION OF INDIANA i' Y CANDLE socxnr Application led .Tune 8,

My invention relates to lamp socket units of the Candelabra type, although not particularly limited to that type of device.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide a device of this character which shall consist of a relativelyfew num-k ber of parts so assembled as to give a rigid and durable structure which is at the same time comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

My device as constructed contemplates the provision of a simple switch mechanism in combination with alamp socket wherein one of the contacts of the lamp socket is integral with one of the switch contacts and in addition thereto forms a part of the bracing mechanism ofthe unit.

I will describe the preferred form` of my invention by reference to the accompanying` 20 drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side View of the device shown removed from the usual husk or housing for the socket;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown 25 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view at right angles to F ig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line lf-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the movable element of the switch mechanism; and

Fig. 8 is a side view of this same element, with a portion thereof shown in section.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, l show at 10 a lamp shell, screw-threaded, as is customary, which shell, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, has an inwardly' extending rim portion 11 that bears upon an insulating washer 12 and is secured thereto by means of 'a substantially horseshoe-shaped clamping member 13 resting upon the flange 11 and provided with ears, as indicated at 14 and 15, extending downwardly through suitable aper- -I tures in the disk 12, these ears being connected to a pair of side plates 16 and 17 of insulating material by means of a suitable screw 18. The shell 10 is also provided with a depending ear 19, which, as shown more i. clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, extends downward- 1929. serial No. 369,334.`

ly parallel to the ear 15 and is engaged with the screw 18.

The side pieces 16 and 17 of insulating material are held in spaced position by a pair Y of metallic conducting members 2O and 21, the member 21 of which projects upwardly through a suitable slot in the insulating disk 12, and is bent over, asshown at 22, to form the central contact for the lamp socket. These members 20 and 21 are provided with suitable projections, as shown at 23 and 24 in Fig. 1, which projections pass through apertures in the plates 16 and 17 and are riveted or otherwise secured to hold the plates in position, thus making at the top of the structure a rigid connection that cannot readily become injured in any way by rough handling. f

The plates 16 and 17 are spaced at their lowerends by a combined mounting and spacing member 25, which, as shown, consists of the flat plate-like portion 26 and the screwthreaded tubular stem 27, which may be'affixed together in any suitable manner to form a unitary structure. The plate 26 is apertured to provide ak passage for the operating handle 28, that is preferably of insulating material, and which carries at its upper end a bridging contact element 29- for making electrical Contact between the lower free ends of the members 2() and 21.

The member 28 is held in position by a simple groove provided at the top thereof, as indicated at 30, and a wire 31, which is wrapped around the screw and has the ends viding a very simple means `for holding, the operating member 28 againstremoval downwardly from the socket.y l Y -k The member 29 is preferably mounted upon the member 28 in such a manner as to have a limited rotative movement thereon, and this is accomplished-in the following manner:

A rectangular piece 33 of metalis molded or otherwise secured in the top' end of the member 28, and the member 29 is provided with an aperture 34:, which, as indicated in Fig. 7, permits a certain amount of angular movement of the member 29 upon they rectangular member33 before,themember 33 eef will turn the contact 29. A suitable washer is placed upon the reduced portion 36 of the member 33, and the upper end of this member is then flattened, as'shown at 37, to hold. the washerin position.

Now, the operation of this switching member is as follows:

One terminal of the circuit is connected at 38 t o the member 20, and the other terminal is connected, preferably, v,tothe screw 18', so as to malre direct connection with the depend'- ing ear 19 of the screw shell 10. New, in order to complete the circuit through the lamp, the shaft 28 is turned so astomove theA bridging member 29 from the position shown in Fig. 6 intothe dotted-line position shown in this ligure, as at 39, which causes the lower ends of the mfembers 2O and 21 to be spread apart into the dotted-line position shown in hese members 2O and 21 are preferably somewhat resilient, so that theyr will return to their original position when the rectangular bridging member 29 is aga-in moved into the full-line position shown in Fig. 6. It will be noted, however, that the member 21 is spaced a considerably greater distance from the upper end of the shaft 28 than the member 20 is,.and the purpose of this is to give amore or Yless snap action when the circuit is broken.

An inspection of Fig. 6 will showthat as the contact member 29 is turned from contact making position toward contact breaking position, it reaches a point when, instead of the yielding force ofthe members 2O and 21 opposing itsmovement, they pass over the corner thereof and tend to accelerate the turning of the 'bridging contact. The member 20, being closer to the bridging contact in its open circuit position, continues to force it toward open circuit position for a greater length of movement than the member 21 does, and thus causesthe bridging contact to snap away from the contacting portion of the member 21,

'fdue tothe spring action of this member 20.

While I have described onev form which the invention may take, it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inl vention, and it is to be understood that I expect to avail myself of all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switchand lamp socket unit, a shell socket, support means upon which said socket is mounted, a cent-ral contact for said socket comprising a conducting'member extending from said shell and carried by saidy means, said member having a resilient portion adapted to serve as a stationary contact of a switch, a secondstationary Contact member carried by said means, and a rotary bridging contact device interposed between said stationary contacts, said support means including a pair of insulating plates and said first named member serving as' a spacer for said plates.

2. ln a switch and lamp socket unit a screw shell, an insulating support therefor extending axially therefrom, a central contact for said shell comprising a conducting member extending from within said Shell and ixed to said support` exterior-ly of' the shell, said member having a stationary contact portion thereon, a second stationary contact carried by saidv support, a mounting base on said support at the end opposite said shell and a rotary bridging contact member interposed between said stationary contacts and having an operating stem projecting away from said shell through said base.

3. In a switch and lamp socket unit, a screw shell, an insulating support therefor extending axially therefrom, a central contact for said shell comprising a conducting member extending from within said shell and fixed to said support exteriorly of the shell, said member having a stationary contact portion thereon, a second stationary contact carried by said support, a mounting base on said support at the end opposite said shell and a rotary bridging contact member interposedbetween said stationary contacts and having an operating stem projecting away from said shell through said base both of said stationary contacts extending toward but 'terminating short of said mounting base.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of May. A. D. 1929. RUDOLF POPP. 

